Bridge for banjos



(No Model.)

A D GROVER BRIDGE .FOR BANJOS.

No. 530,483. Patented Dec. 4, 1894.

Fig 5- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT D. GROVER, OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS.

BRIDGE FOR BANJOS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 530,483, dated December4,1894.

Application filed March 24, 1894. Serial No. 504,899. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALBERT D. GROVER, a citizenof the United States,residing at Malden, in the county of Middlesex and State ofMassachusetts, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Bridges forBanjos, of which the following isafull, clear, and exact description,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thisspecification, in explaining its nature.

Myinvention relates to an improved bridge for banjos which verymaterially increases the tone effect and does away with the liabilityattending the present form of bridge to slip upon the banjo head and tipover thereon.

Referring to the drawings,-Figure 1 is a View in perspective of myimproved bridge. Fig. 2 is a view in cross-section through one leg orfoot. Fig. 3 isa section lengthwise the bridge. Fig. 4 represents thebridge in position upon a banjo head.

It will be understood that bridges are not fastened to the banjo head inany way, but simply rest thereon, being held against them by the strainof the strings which pass over them. It is very desirable. however, thatthey be not movable upon the head from the position in which they areoriginally placed, because such movement interferes with the toneeffects and also is liable to slacken the strings.

My improved bridge I prefer to make of wood and in the following way:The back section a is made from one piece of stock of uniform thicknessthroughout. It forms the cross-bar 01,, and the portions a of the legs.To the front of these legs or feet portions a is attached or glued thetriangular feet sections a which are shaped so as to hold the legsections a of the part a perpendicular or straight, and this provides aforward inclined reinforcing or staying support. See Fig. 2. In the legsthus formed, I make cavities or recesses of and fill them with rosin ora composition of rosin and glue of, the rosin being thus held in pocketsor receptacles having thin wooden walls and the rosin projectingslightly below the lower edge of the walls or sufficiently to bear uponthe head. If, for any reason, the rosin becomes inoperative, its powermay be renewed by slightly grating or cutting away the wooden wall aboutit sufficiently to expose the rosin or a new surface of rosin, if itbecomes necessary to remove a portion of it.

This improvement results not only in a stronger bridge, but in a bracedbridge and one that holds its place, and. in an improvement in the toneeffect, the use of the rosin in the manner indicated improving thateffect very remarkably.

I prefer that the feet sections a have their grain run at right anglesto the grain of the leg sections a 7 I am awareof the patent to G. F.Albert, Jr., No. 503,396, for banjo bridge; but as said patent does notdescribea bridge constructed as mine is constructed and does not obtainits stability in the same manner and does not employ resin in cavitiesin its legs for the purposes above stated, and has no means by which acontinuous supply of resin can be supplied to the legs and as my bridgedoes not use a tone muffiing grit between the under surface of its legsand the head, I consider that my invention does not contain any of thefeatures of the said patent, and therefore disclaim anything describedtherein.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim and desire to secureby Letters Patentof the United States 1. A bridge for banjos and otherlike instruments, having its feet provided with holes or cavities filledwith resin or rosin composition, as and for the purposes set forth.

2. A bridge for banjos and other like instruments, recesses or cavitiesformed in the feet for holding rosin or a rosin composition, the edgesof said feet about the cavity being removable to expose the rosin, asand for the purposes described.

3. A bridge for banjos and other like instruments, comprising thesection at having the feet sections 0. the forward inclined feetsections (Its, the said feet having the re cesses a and the rosin orrosin composition 01, held in said recesses, as and for the purposesdescribed.

ALBERT D. GROVER.

Witnesses:

F. F. RAYMOND, 2d, J. F. DOLAN.

